Blacktail Deer Plateau Tennessee

kiddos encouraged!

”Alright, time to practice,” she said after a yawn. 

The children were rambunctious- rowdy and restless once they’d slept off their last meal, and awakened with fire in their eyes. Now, it was better to put that energy to use rather than to try to calm them down so she could rest. She slept when they did- and hoped that a play session might finally get them to all sleep at the same time, later.

She dropped into a playbow and chuffed, welcoming her children into a play fight, prepared to joust with soft jaws and light paws, teaching them skills they would hone through these games that might save them later on in life.

He didn't need to be asked twice. At Solveig's prompting, Arrax followed dutifully, his latest nap having fully recharged his energy stores and he was raring to play. At nearly two months, his baby fat was beginning to give way to the sleek form of a juvenile with gigantic paws that were the cause of many missteps and falls as he learned how to coordinate them properly.

As his mother dropped into a playbow with an inviting wuff, the boy galloped forward, determined to be the first to engage. Practice and play were words he understood now, but it would take some time – and discipline – for him to learn to control his full-force bites and shoves.

So, with snapping jaws and all of the power he could muster, Arrax barrelled straight towards Solveig with the aim to crash into her.

Just a cameo if you don’t mind, unless directly addressed she’ll be observing…. :)

She had finished a walk around of the pack grounds, then heard a friendly commotion, the chuff of mother and calls of child playing together. She saw what then came into view, Solveig and her kiddos. The woman bowed in play, and the pup came charging full on, just as a bull elk would. “How fun!” She thought to herself. She hadn’t played like that since she was a pup, or since Baldr and his siblings left. Were they okay? Were they having fun?

She sat, a distance away…. Quiet enough for her to think, and observe. Just enough to see them in near view. It had been seldom since her bird accompanied her often, though she always knew he was there somewhere.

She hoped he would return after his own hunts during the day. Gyrfalcons were known to be wide wanderers. Going where the wind takes them.
She sat remembering him as a baby, helpless…. He needed her and she needed him. He did travel with her all over the sequoia coast after all. On her longs journeys home and back.

Hilda was excited; playtime was her favourite! Also- feeding time was her favourite! Also- bath time was her favourite! The only thing that was not her favourite was afternoon nap times- because whenever the time came, she found herself becoming moody and belligerent for no apparent reason. Waking up was also difficult, but was made better with a warm breakfast.

While Arrax followed the prompt, his gleeful sister jigged sideways in excitement and tripped over her own feet. She rolled over, a hefty belly laugh punctuated with short breaths as she sought to right herself. 

And when she took off again? She bounded right toward Greyfalcon instead!

As she watch, she enjoyed the pleasing sounds of children’s laughs. Then, out from nowhere Hilda came running to her mother then changed course rapidly and bolted toward her. She gasped, then got down in a crouch to embrace the young’in. She giggled, “Hi! Now, where do you think your going?” She said with a smile, “Your Hilda aren’t you?” She and her brother were doing really good, these pups were stronger already.

She was also a lovely young lady. “Don’t fancy a play fight with your brother I assume?”

Solveig dipped her chest down to the ground, splaying her forelegs wide as she prepared for the onslaught. Arrax bounded toward her, but Hilda bounced with less control, and charged instead toward Greyfalcon. She opened her mouth to warn the woman about her daughter’s emerging teeth but caught a solid thump as her son charged right into her chest.

She laughed, and dipped her head down to try and wrestle him away with nudges of her broad muzzle, to test both his strength and his perseverance.

He heard the clumsy footfalls of his sister behind him but did not look back to see if she was also taking up their mother's invitation to play. Instead, his attention was solely focused on Solveig who had crouched down to meet his charge. Fwump! He collided into her chest with a grunt, underestimating how solid of a form his mother was. Dazed, the pup stumbled backwards slightly, avoiding falling over altogether as Solveig's muzzle pushed against his side, keeping him upright.

An ear turned backwards as he heard a stranger engage with his giggling sibling, but still he didn't turn to see what she was doing.

His laser-like focus remained on his mother and, having recovered from impact, Arrax then lurched forward to grab a mouthful of the loose fur at her chest, aiming to forcefully tug at it to pull her to the ground.

Hilda’s playful bounds came to a halt as she dipped into a playbow, tail wriggling at the mention of her name. She tipped- as if in recognition- and stomped one broad paw on the ground to insist that Greyfalcon play with her. Greyfalcon’s attempt at directing her attention toward her littermate failed- and with a mighty battle squeak, she bunny-hopped toward Greyfalcon baring little milk teeth with as much ferocity as she could muster.

She laughed as the child bore into her, small yet sharp milk teeth trying to be as fierce as possible. She wanted play, and she gave her play as her instincts told her to. Gentle, yet teaching. Strong, yet persevering.

She ignored her distractions, and decided to accept her offer bowing into the ground and gently letting her at her paws. Between her legs. “You are fierce!” She said, rather impressed by the young lady. “Strong as your mother, fierce as your father.” She didn’t mind the milk teeth, it was a thick patch of fur and she was used to small sharp objects when she raised her feathered companion. Where was he? She wondered for a brief moment and then forgot it. Returning to the task at hand, play. Simply, play.

She enjoyed this, she wondered if she would ever have pups…. Could she even?